Chinese billionaire Jack Ma pledges 500,000 face masks to Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — Chinese billionaire businessman Jack Ma pledged to donate half a million face masks to the Philippines as the country faces a shortage of protective products.
Delivery of the masks is expected to start later this week or early next week, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said in a statement Thursday.
“I want to personally send my best regards and hope we can do something for the Philippines to fight this virus. I hope that I can do something more. For now, we have decided to give 500,000 masks to the Philippines,” the founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba said, as quoted by Dominguez.
Ma also provided a downloadable electronic handbook for health workers fighting the spread of the new coronavirus.
Ma, China’s richest man, earlier pledged to donate 50,000 COVID-19 test kits in partnership with Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s foundation.
The rapid spread of the virus in the Philippines has prompted a nationwide shopping spree for protective products, particularly face masks, alcohol and hand sanitizers, causing shortages across the country.
The Philippines reported 217 COVID-19 infections, with 17 deaths. There are only eight recoveries so far.
Ma said his organizations had helped provide supplies to virus-affected countries such as Japan, South Korea, Italy, Iran, Spain and the United States.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has infected 207,860 people across the globe and killed more than 8,600. — Gaea Katreena Cabico with report from Agence France-Presse
- Latest
- Trending
